Middlesex Duke of Cambridge’s Hussars, Yeomanry Cavalry

E Clementi-Smith

This photo is from a publication c1896 and is captioned: Sergeant-Instructor of Musketry E. Clementi-Smith, Middlesex Yeomanry. Rifle Champion South London Rifle Club 1895-96. He had an interesting career in Canada prior to his service in the Yeomanry. He was born in Chigwell, Essex on 3 Dec 1847, the son of Rev John Smith and Cecilia Clementi. Eugene’s elder brother became Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner to Malaya.
Eugene served in the Winnipeg Field Artillery in 1871 and was appointed High Commissioner and JP at Brandon, Manitoba. He was involved in the raising of the Manitoba Grenadier Regiment and served in that unit as a lieutenant. He was in action in the Riel Rebellion of 1885 and was awarded the North West Canada medal as well as being mentioned in despatches. He returned to England in 1890 and joined the Middlesex Hussars as a sergeant-instructor of musketry.
When the Boer War broke out he was given a commission and fought in South Africa with the Middlesex Yeomanry, 62 Company, 11th Battalion Imperial Yeomanry. In 1901 he was awarded the DSO, but on 11 Sep 1901 Lieutenant Clementi Smith was wounded at Harrismith and died of pneumonia on 4 Oct 1901.
He is wearing the undress uniform of a warrant officer of the Middlesex Hussars. The green pill-box cap has a gold lace band and piping with a gold button in the middle surrounded by gold Russia braid. This cap is officer-style apart from the Russia braid which, for officers, covered a larger area of the top of the cap. The blue patrol jacket is also officer-style and he has a medal ribbon, blue with red stripes near the edges, which is his Canadian award.

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